You make it better by simply being here
by peacegirl597
Summary: Bella has the worst day of her life. She deals with Lauren Mallory's taunts, pop quizzes, broken-down cars, and even a trip to the ER. Edward's away hunting and Well, of course he's there when she needs him. too bad she didn't call him until she needs a ride home from the hospital! sequal on chapter 3, Total fluff, EXB, not a lemon, very cute. Set between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn
1. So You Had A Bad Day

I was having a horrible day. I woke up, with a headache, and no Edward. I knew He must've left while I was sleeping, but I thought he left to change his cloths, forgetting that it was one of those rare sunny days and he wouldn't be coming to school with me. Great. That meant that I would have to face Mike Newton's pickup lines and Jessica Stanly's gossip alone without my boyfriend or best friend. I sulked around a bit, slowly getting dressed while wallowing in my misery. I ate slowly, still half asleep and had to rush through the rest of my process of getting ready because of my sluggishness.

I was already ten minutes late and my car wouldn't start. Normally, I loved my old Chevy. Not today. Normally I would've left with Charlie when my truck broke down, but with my luck, he had went to work early leaving me to fend for myself. I kicked the useless pile of red scrap-metal in frustration. My kick was too strong and gravity pushed me backwards, landing hard on my butt. One word: Ouch! After picking myself up off the wet ground, I managed to successfully restart my car, ending up almost an hour late for school… Charlie was going to kill me when he found out that I'd 'skipped' that much school, whether it was an accident or not.

After I made my way to class, Mr. Banner surprised us with a pop-quiz. Just wonderful. He passed out the test and I couldn't even answer the first question:

_Explain how DNA forms chromosomes in eukaryotic cells. Then define a eukaryotic cell._

Wow. Umm… I looked around the room only to see that everyone else obviously thought this was easy. Even Mike and Jess were done with the quiz! I quickly bubbled in all of my answers and threw together a whole bunch of scientific-sounding words. Well, there goes my "A" average.

The bell rang just as I filled in the last question. I silently walked to lunch, wishing I had someone next to me to talk to. I decided to skip buying lunch and facing the cafeteria. I sat outside on a bench in the courtyard, wishing for cool hands to help soothe my aching head. No such luck. Instead I got a hot, beating sun. Ugh. I've never hated the sun before now; I never thought I'd say thins but… I WISH IT WERE POURING OUT! I sighed, figuring that I wasn't making myself feeling better by basking in the sun, which seemed to be rubbing Edward's absence in my face. I made my way back to the lunchroom, only to be confronted by none other than Lauren Mallory.

"How's it goin' Swan?" She asked in a nasal, crude voice.

"Fine," I mumbled, attempting to shuffle away from her, and failing miserably for that matter.

"Where ya going?" She intercepted, "Huh?"

"Nowhere." I muttered, still trying to push past her.

"Good. We've gotta talk, Swan."

"Okay…" I mumbled

"Don't be freaked! I just wanted to…. Give you some 'advice'" She smiled, "Stay Away From Him." She was suddenly harsh and dark, "And don't even bother playing dumb because you and I both know exactly who I'm talking about." She dragged me out to the courtyard. The same one that was only moments ago infuriatingly sunny now seemed dark and suspicious. I cringed as she continued her lecture about _my_ boyfriend.

"He doesn't love you." She stated plainly, cruelly, "He never has. He goes out with you out of pity, not love." She continued, "And he's just too nice to break things off now, because the last time he tried to tell you he wasn't interested, you had a mental break-down and guilted him into coming back to you. You're sick," She spat, making me flinch, "Don't you want him to be happy? God, like, can't you see that you're holding him back? He wants me. I'm beautiful and funny. You are just plain ugly and boring. You know what you are? You-" I cut her off.

"I don't care what you think I am. Keep it to yourself." I snapped, still hurt by her words, but trying my best to hide it. I simply stood up and left that ***** (Fill in the blanks guys! Use your imagination!) Standing like an idiot in the middle of our court.

I drowned helplessly during my other classes, trying to pay attention to the board, but my mind kept wandering to Lauren. Was it true? It couldn't be… But I thought back to September and almost burst into tears in the middle of math. Those words he had said… They couldn't have been lies! No one is that good at lying.

I was suddenly embarrassed for thinking I had a chance with Edward. I guess I would have to set him free. Lauren was right, I was holding him back, and though it pained me… I wanted him to be happy. I would give him the news when he got back... Suddenly, my phone went off in the middle of a lecture and everyone's heads turned to me. I blushed deep scarlet. Alice. Great, more embarrassment! Our Math teacher's new rule was that if anyone's phone beeped or rang, he got to answer the phone or read the text to the entire class. I shuffled my way to the front of the room, cussing under my breath.

"Hello?" Mr. Masen answered my cell. It was on speakerphone so the whole class could hear.

"Bella?" Alice's wind chime voice called "Don't do it! Don't listen to what she said! She's a liar!" She screamed at me.

"Alice?" Mr. Masen Asked

"Oh, Hello Mr. M!" Alice replied in a suddenly nasal voice.

"It's good to hear you're feeling well enough to call, Alice." Mr. Masen nodded.

The cover story was that the entire Cullen family was sick and highly contagious… that way they could miss the next couple of weeks, if it was necessary, considering the very sunny weather forecast for the next two weeks.

"Yes," Alice did a very realistic-sounding cough, "I was just calling to remind Bella not to listen to what my sister said about coming over to our house… You see Rose told Bella to come and visit us, but we don't want her catching anything… so yeah." Alice made up a very convincing cover story. Of course, I knew that she was talking about not listening to Lauren.

"Okay." I huffed at Alice, "I won't do it." I knew she would catch on and realize that I was referring to her actual warning about Lauren, not her made-up one about Rosalie. She sighed a breath of relief.

"Thanks, Bella… Sorry for interrupting your class Mr. M."

"It's okay Alice. Get better soon." He sighed and handed me back my phone.

The rest of my day was just as bad. I tripped and fell in the mud, and almost had to kiss Mike Newton in Drama class because he was the under-study for Edward who was 'sick'. Thank GOD Angela, my personal angel, saved me last minute by telling the director that he should cut because I'd been around Edward so much that I could be getting sick too and He wouldn't want to infect anyone else. My car wouldn't start again, and so I spent two hours in the school parking lot with Tyler trying to jump-start my car. When we were unsuccessful, we called a mechanic to tow it, and I walked home. On my way home, it started to pour and I was drenched by the time I reached my house. We were out of hot water when I went to take a hot shower in order to warm myself up from the freezing rain. Somehow Alice had managed to replace all of my sweats and comfy jeans with designer dress-pants and skirts. All of my underwear and pajamas were replaced with some very scary lingerie.

"Alice." I growled. Shivering, and knowing I could never be comfortable in any of the actual cloths Alice selected, I ended up having to settle on a pretty skimpy undergarment. I didn't dare look in the mirror as I made my way out of the bathroom. I cautiously went downstairs to make dinner hoping to avoid walking into Charlie like this, but of course, he was waiting at the bottom of the staircase. The second he saw me his mouth dropped to the floor and he turned paler than a Cullen. He let out a strange noise and for a second, I thought I gave him a heart attack! I awkwardly attempted to make dinner but…

"B-Bella?" He choked out

"Yeah dad?"

"What are you _wearing?_" I gulped, looking down at my mess of scanty satin and lace.

"Well, Alice, she uhh… replaced all of my cloths and… These are all I have so…. I, uhh was wet and I was cold and there were no cloths and, and… yeah." I sighed, defeated. Charlie still looked like he was going to burst.

"O-okay… So no Edward?" He gulped. Oh. That's what he was worried about…

"No, dad. Just… no. Okay? No boyfriend was involved."

"O-okay… I'm glad we had this talk Isabella." My dad failed at composing himself to sound formal.

"Yeah… I'm gunna go… Upstairs…" I trailed awkwardly. But then something unthinkable happened. The door opened revealing…. Emmett? Oh. My. God.

"Hey Bella, I forgot my- Wow." He gasped at the sight of his brother's fiancé drenched in water, in lingerie practically on top of her paralyzed dad, while holding a can of un-finished tuna-fish. This was not going to end well…

"I'll just grab my game and go…" Emmett trailed awkwardly

"NO! EMMMETT! This is not what it looks like! Alice, she… she and then I was hungry and Charlie was worried about Edward! He wasn't and I wasn't! I was wet and… Crap." I blushed so hard; I thought all of the blood rushing to my cheeks would burst! All of a sudden he started rolling on the floor with laughter, literally.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"Well… It's just that I've probably seen more of you than Eddie boy has!" He laughed.

"W-what?" Charlie sounded almost relieved, "You mean they haven't…"

"No!" Emmett laughed breathlessly. "Edwards too old-fashioned!"

"So I've been told…" Charlie huffed at me. This was the worst day EVER.

"Bella?" Emmett asked, finally gaining control of himself.

"Yeah?"

"I know why Alice told me to bring these…" He handed me a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt

"Oh Emmett! You're a life saver!" I hugged him, he squirmed and I realized I was still soaked and in underwear….

"Uhm… I'm going to go now…" He said uncomfortably

"Wait… Emmett aren't you supposed to be sick?" Charlie asked, and of course, Emmett already had his excuse.

"I've gotten better… But I still can't be out of the house very long because I've been taking care of my ill family." He sounded so sincere, and for a second I realized that the previous rain had taken care of the sun for the day. But considering Edward was supposedly 'sick' I still wouldn't be able to see him.

"Oh. Well, send them regards," He nodded.

"And tell Edward I miss him, please" I smiled.

"Yeah, well I'd better be going…" He took one last look at me and shook his head.

"You won't tell your brother about this… right?"

"I certainly would never_ tell_ him…" He said, tapping his brain. Crap. I really hated Edward's gift sometimes.

It was too early to go to bed, so I finished my tuna sandwich and read. However I ended up with several paper cuts and decided to watch T.V. But of course it short circuited and blacked out. Charlie was so mad that his new flat screen was broke, that he grounded me for two weeks.

I tried going on the internet, but the computer was so slow, and there were so many popup windows that I decided to forget about the computer. I laid around in the re-appearing sun, but ended up with sunburn all over my cheeks and forehead.

Finally, I decided just to lay down on my bed. To my great discomfort, I found that even going to bed early would be difficult. Charlie was banging around downstairs and people were still outside being loud, enjoying that damn sun! I groaned and covered my ears with a pillow. Finally, sleep took me.

I woke up in the middle of the night. Sitting in bed, unable to sleep, I decided to get up. I went around the kitchen, looking in cabinets, not really sure what I was hoping to find. I went to get water, but my glasses cabinet was too high to reach and I couldn't grasp any of the cups. I climbed on my counter, extending my hand as far as possible, and barely managed to reach my glass when it slipped from my fingers and I lurched forwards, hitting the ground. _Hard_.

"Ouch, Dammit!" I muttered attempting to pick myself off of the floor. There were shards of glass cutting into my knees from the glassware I'd dropped and quite a mess of blood, gore and splinters of glass under me. I used a warm, wet wash cloth to wipe up my knee and put pressure on it, but the hot water soaked into the cloth scalded my fingers.

When it didn't stop bleeding, I panicked. I thought about waking Charlie, but decided against it, figuring that it would take some time and I'd already lost so much blood. I was getting dizzy from the smell and almost considered calling 911, again, deciding against it. I breathed through my mouth, avoiding the rusty smell of gore, and tried to calm myself. I climbed into my rusty Chevy pick-up truck and prayed it would start. It didn't.

I decided on using Charlie's Cruzer. I climbed in, carefully avoiding hitting my knee on something. No doubt Charlie would be pissed, but I really needed to get to the E.R. He could understand that it was an emergency, right?

When I got to the Emergency Room, there was a twenty minute wait, so I spent them trying to get my knee to stop bleeding, and contact Alice to see if Edward knew where I was… hopefully he didn't…

Alice finally picked up her phone.

"Hello?" She asked

"Hey, Alice…"

"Oh, hey Bella what's… OH." She obviously saw me in the hospital…

"Yeah." She didn't answer.

"Does Edward know…?"

"Not yet…"

"Good. Keep it that way." I ordered

"Your doctor is coming, got to go bye!" She hung up.

Dr. Gerandy came in and escorted me to a small white room.

"Hello, Bella, what seems to be the problem?" I motioned to my knee, wasn't it obvious? I mean, gosh, I was bleeding all over his carpet for god's sake!

"Looks like you're going to need stitches…." He observed my leg and carefully, yet painfully, injected a small needle and one by one, inserted twelve stitches. He carefully bandaged it up while I cringed in pain.

"Stay off your feet for a couple of days, and the stitches will dissolve after a week or so." He nodded and I obliged. He gave me crutches and I hobbled my way to the lobby.

I fell twice on the crutches and had to get another stitch above my eyebrow. Wasn't that so wonderful?

I called Charlie, it was about eleven 'o' clock, and he picked up in an instant.

"Bella?" He was frantic

"Yeah dad?"

"Where the hell are you? I wake up to go to the bathroom and find a mess of bloody glass and water everywhere. There's a trail of blood leading to our driveway, my cruiser's missing and you aren't in your bed!" He sounded like he was going to have a heart attack.

" I'm fine. I-I was climbing on our counter, 'cause you know I can't reach the cups, to get water. And I slipped and fell on the glass that I dropped and I was bleeding really bad! My c-car wouldn't st-tart a-and…" I started to cry, knowing that I'd upset my dad, hurt myself, broken an expensive piece of crystal and overall, my day had sucked and I just couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

"Shhh, Bells, it's okay, calm down. Are you in my car?" His voice softened.

"Y-yes."

"Are you driving?"

"N-not yet."

"You're in the ER?"

""Y-yes."

"Okay. I'm going to call someone to drive me there and I'll drive you home. Okay?"

"Uh-huh." I hung up, continuing to bawl. And, though I didn't think this day could get worse, it did. I kept getting texts while I was waiting in the car from Lauren and her clique saying stuff like

"ur a slut."

"I'm going 2 kill u"

"I don't know why Edward wants u."

"ur a self-centered b*tch."

I cried harder. This was just horrible. Then I got the worst text in my life.

"Bella, I'm sorry to say, but Lauren was right. I don't love you. Sorry."

It was from Edward. No. I couldn't believe it! It couldn't be true! My tears flowed relentlessly now. They poured down my cheeks as I dialed his number.

"Hello?" Lauren's voice picked up.

"Lauren? Why are you answering Edward's phone?"

"Well, I came over and he and I… let's just say… hooked up." She sneered. No, she had to be lying. He could never make love to a human. He told me himself, that's a main part of why we haven't done anything yet… why he wanted to wait.

"How did it happen" I asked skeptically, waiting to catch her in the lie.

"Well he called me at around ten asking if I wanted to come over, and when I got there, his parents were asleep, so we snuck around to the master bedroom… and well, you know the rest."

"But Edward's sick." I replied, Edward's parents didn't sleep, I'd already caught her, but I needed more proof.

"He lied. He's been taking care of his brothers and Alice has been taking care of the sister."

"So he was helping Emmett?" I asked, innocently.

"Well, yah, that's what I just said!"

"Hmmm, because Emmett came over today, 100% healthy!" I slammed the phone shut, pissed off. My knee hurt like crazy. Where was Charlie?

I waited and waited. Lauren's words were getting to me. I knew that she was lying but… Carlisle and Esme could have been fake-sleeping or away hunting and Edward's cover-up was that they were asleep. Emmett could still be playing the sick act and only told Charlie he was healthy to make sure Charlie didn't get suspicious. And how did she get his phone? My stomach churned at the possibilities. He wouldn't cheat. Would he? No. I knew him, I trusted him.

But then again, I had also trusted him when he left last September. My stomach flipped and flopped and I was starting to get dizzy. Great, I guess I'm getting sick too. As if I haven't had enough. I couldn't take it anymore. I called the house, but no one answered for they were most-likely out hunting. I called Emmett, but got his voice mail. Finally, Alice picked up.

"Oh my god, Bella!" She cried "I'm so sorry! I didn't see what happened until you decided to call! I swear! Don't listen to Lauren, don't move from that spot! I'm so coming to get you!"

"Alice," I sighed in relief, "Charlie's coming to get me anyways. Just… keep hunting."

"Charlie can't find a ride and your car isn't going to start. Please, let me help!"

"Fine." I sighed.

Charlie called me, apologizing that there wasn't a way to come and get me, wondering if I could drive.

"Actually, Alice is coming… I called her; I really needed to talk to a girl…"

"It's okay, I get it." He assured me. "But you do have a ride?"

"Yeah."

"But she's sick." He stated.

"She's feeling better." I defended.

"I just want you to stay healthy."

"I know, but I hung out with them the whole weekend before they got sick. I've already been exposed."

"Yeah," Like I could get sick from being with them! It was impossible for them to even be sick! "Are you okay, Bells? You seemed kinda… down… When you were on the phone." Wow, way to notice, dad.

"Yeah, I had… a bad day." I sighed

The second we hung up, there was a light tap on the door. I jumped, before realizing it was Alice and opened the door.

"Where's Edward?" I asked quietly

"I didn't tell him. I just left while he was in the woods catching some mountain lions with the guys. She gave a soft smile, "He said that he was 'bagging the mountain lions' for you. Sweet, huh?"

"Yeah." I smiled for the first time today. Edward kept his promises.

"Bad day?" She asked, as if she hadn't seen it all.

"What do you think?" She pursed her lips.

"I think that your pain medication will wear off soon, I should get you home," I nodded, "And you won't be well enough to go to school… the pain will make you too sick."

"Great, I guess I get two bad days." I grumbled. She sighed, sympathetically.

We drove in silence for a while before she spoke up.

"Do you want me to tell him?" She asked, curious.

"No, not particularly, he'll be frantic when he finds out that I went to the hospital and didn't tell him."

"Yeah, it'll make him worried sick," She agreed, "But on the up side, he won't leave your side so you could spend your day-off tomorrow with him…"

"Really?"

"It'll be hard to keep him away," She chuckled.

Charlie apologized for waking her at midnight to drive me home. She, of course, replied merrily that she didn't mind, and loved helping a sister out. She left, but came through my window after Charlie succumbed to his drooping eyelids.

"I think we better call him." She whispered into the darkness.

"Now?" I whispered back.

"Yes, he's starting to wonder where I am…"

"Okay, but will you talk to him first?" I pleaded

"Oh, of course," She promised and dialed his number on her cell. She promptly switched it to speaker phone, for my sake.

"Alice? Where have you been?" He answered

"I'm actually back in Forks." She stated a-matter-of-factly.

"Why?" He grew suspicious.

"Well, my dear sister needed me and you know I'd do anything for her." She prompted

"Why did she need you, Alice?" He grew more and more wary with each second.

"There was an… accident." She sighed

"What kind of an 'accident', Alice?"

"She… slipped, and needed me to drive her home."

"Home from where?" He prodded, at least he was still calm.

"The… ER." She sighed, defeated.

"She was in the _hospital _and you didn't tell me?" He was hurt. Just fantastic, I'd managed to make him suffer, too.

"She didn't want you to know," Alice defended

He grumbled, unintelligibly and sighed "Can I talk to her?"

"You may." Alice allowed, handing the phone over to me.

"H-hello?" I stuttered, nervously, I hated it when he was angry, especially when it was my fault.

"Hey, beautiful," He murmured, at least he wasn't mad at me. I'd have to defend Alice later.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" He sounded upset, but calm, "I would've taken you home."

"I didn't want you to be mad," I said, sheepishly.

"Why would I ever be mad?"

"Because I know it hurts you to be around me when I'm all bloody."

"Oh, Bella," He sounded even sadder.

"Do you not want me?" I whimpered

"What? Where did that come from?" He was shocked at my somewhat random comment.

"I don't know. Why do you want to be with a clumsy human who constantly puts you through pain?" I retorted

"Bella," He spoke softly, yet fiercely at the same time "I love you no matter what. Just because you fell doesn't mean I don't want you, my silly, silly girl."

"I know."

"Where did that come from?"

"Lauren," I muttered, and he growled uncontrollably.

"I'll kill her for making you cry," He promised, darkly.

"Who said she made me cry?" I asked, though it was easy to tell I had been. My voice was still thick with tears.

"Bella, are you… okay?" He asked. I stopped short. I mean, the only things he knew about my day were that I fell and cut myself and Lauren was being obnoxious. Could he tell it was more? Yes. He could. He knew me better than anybody.

"No," I my voice cracked, and I knew I was going to start crying again. I was just so tired, so hurt and so emotional.

"Shh, Bella, Shh. I'll come back, okay? I'll be there soon. Calm down," He soothed me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when I'd composed myself, "It's been a really bad day."

"Yeah. I can tell," He chuckled.

"I bet you can," I laughed too.

"Hey, I love you," He said through the phone.

"I love you, too," I sighed and hung up.

Alice stayed with me while Edward came. She made me talk about my day, swearing it would help me feel better. It made me feel worse. The annoying part was that Edward was four hours away, meaning by the time he got here, it would already be past four am. The pain medication eventually wore off, but I didn't tell Alice. Only when she heard me suck in an excruciating gasp of air did she realize I was in pain.

I fell asleep soon after, exhausted. But it was not a sound sleep. I tossed and turned all night. Nightmares invaded me. Charlie came in twice to check on me. Apparently I'd been screaming in my sleep. After my last nightmare, I decided not to go back to sleep. I told Alice to leave, seeing she still needed to hunt, and I really didn't need her there to watch me suffer.

I checked the clock. 3:30 am, only about a half an hour to go, I told myself. I got up and walked around my room, practicing using my crutches. But, while circling around the room for the hundredth time, my stomach did little flips. Remembering what Alice said about getting sick in the morning, I decided it was best to lie down.

Finally, at around 4:15, there was a soft tap on my window. I got up, slowly and carefully, and opened it. I laid back down, and Edward laid next to me.

"You shouldn't still be awake," He chided softly.

"I couldn't sleep," I mumbled.

"Nightmares?" He guessed.

"Yeah."

He kissed my forehead, and wrapped his arms around my waist under the covers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. I shook my head no, pressing it against his chest. "Okay," he sighed, "Does your leg hurt?" He asked.

"Yeah, kinda," I admitted.

So, he rested his cool hand on my burning knee. I automatically felt relief. I cuddled further into his chest and wrapped my arms around his torso. We stayed like that until sleep took over. I haf no nightmares.

Edward made things better just by being there.


	2. EPOV So You Had A Bad Day

_**Okay, so I know I said this would be a oneshot, but I changed my mind.**_

_**EPOV**_

This was absolutely dreadful. Today had started off normal, I left Bella's house at around 5 am to get ready for a hunting trip, knowing I couldn't go to school today because of the sun. I wanted nothing more than to stay with Bella, but sometimes vampire life just sucked. No pun intended. When I got home, Alice had me dressed and bathed in a matter of seconds, claiming that the boys hunting trip started earlier than the girls. Emmett and Rose however were late so instead of Boys and girls the groups got mixed up. Esme, Carlisle and I were in one group and Alice, Rose, Emmett and Jasper were in the other. I decided to merge with the two groups and hunt all day, half of the day with the first group and half with the second. I mean, there was nothing better to do anyways since Bella wouldn't be able to come over and I wouldn't be able to go over there. Our cover up sickness made Charlie wary of sending her anywhere near me or my 'ill' family for the next week or so.

Like I said: Vampire life sucked. We got out of the house early and did the usual mountain ranges and forests we normally hunted at. I missed Bella immensely, especially when I let my mind wander to her. At noon I pictured her eating lunch with Jess and Mike as he tried to hit on her. I wished I were there to defend her. I also wished it was legal to snap his neck, too, but that wasn't going to happen.

I was irritated when I couldn't catch any mountain lions up in the ranges, and the kill today wasn't the greatest, either. When we came home for the second group- who I would be joining too- Alice was on the phone.

"Thanks, Bella… Sorry for interrupting your class Mr. M."

She was talking to Bella?

She hung up, blocking her mind from me.

"Alice, what's going on?" I sighed, frustrated at my little devil-pixie sister.

"Nothing. I had to call Bella." She smiled, but her mind was still being blocked by Switzerland's national anthem.

"In class?"

"Yeah, she just needed some advice, that's all. I didn't realize she was in Mr. Masen's class at the time, but whatever." She said with a straight face. I decided to let it go. If it were something severely important or dangerous to Bella, she would've told me. It was probably some stupid girl stuff that Bella didn't want me to know for whatever reason.

"Whatever, can we just go?"

"Wait!" Alice stopped me. I saw a brief vision in her mind that got cut off by the anthem again. Was that… Bella? In… black lingerie? With Charlie?

"I … I uhm, might've replaced her cloths…"

"God, Alice!" I yelled, though I found it pretty entertaining myself.

"Hey, Em? Can you go give these to Bella?" Alice asked.

I was going to ask why I couldn't be the one to go but Alice showed me standing there with Bella in lingerie and Charlie with a knife. That explains it.

"We're gunna get a head start on hunting, Emmett; can you meet us there with the Jeep?" Rose asked

"Yeah, sure." He replied, walking out the door.

We all piled in the Volvo, planning on going to some new mountain ranges a little further away from home, and Bella, since the last hunting experience with the other half of my family wasn't a great catch.

Emmett met us maybe fifteen minutes later, still laughing.

_Looks like I've seen more of your fiancé than you have!_ He thought, making me growl. He was so irritating sometimes.

"Stop teasing him, Em." Rose ordered.

"Thank you for controlling your husband." I nodded.

"No problem," She laughed, as Emmett pouted.

Finally, after an hour of hunting, we caught scent of some nearby mountain lions.

"Be right back, I have to go bag a few for Bella," I laughed, Alice smiled and nodded.

"You're ridiculous, you know!" She called after me.

Her only reply was my laugh, before I let instincts take over. I closed my eyes and tried to pinpoint them. I used my ears to perceive how fast they were moving and I let my body follow what my senses said. I could hear their hearts pumping wet and juicy in their veins. Their hot blood just underneath their weak skin. I sniffed the air around me, trying to detect how many there were. Three. Two males and one female. Just over the hill, behind the trees. I leapt. Soaring through the air, I landed on the female and sunk my teeth into the space just below her neckline. The Males got aggressive, and tried to attack. I could barely feel their claws on my rock hard skin. It was like they were rubbing my arms, not digging in their claws. I knocked them both out with a flick of my wrist and continued my mean in peace.

Two deer and a buck later, I was ready to go back to the campsite where the rest of the group was. Man, was I thirsty today.

As I entered the site, I noticed Alice was gone.

"She still out?" I asked Rose.

It was rare that my little sister ever hunted longer than I did when we split up like that. Because she was so tiny, her body didn't need to hunt as much to keep her from being too thirsty, so she was almost always done before any of us. Especially Emmett and I who were both back already.

"No, she left, like, two minutes after you went out." Rosalie shrugged.

"Where did she go?" I asked.

"Don't know. She got a weird call." Emmett shrugged

"From…?"

They shrugged, so I checked their minds.

_Alice said not to tell him but it's not even that big of a deal. She just needed a ride… crap he's listening…_ _Amanece, lo veis?, a la luz de la aurora? lo que tanto aclamamos la noche caer? sus estrellas sus franjas flotaban ayer en el fiero combate en señal de victoria, fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada._

Rose blocked herself with the Spanish version of the national Anthem. Well played Rose. Emmett's thoughts were already blocked when I got down to focusing on them.

"Fine. I'll just call her then." Who would need a ride at midnight from Alice while she was supposed to be sick… And where the hell was my phone?

"Hey guys..?"

"Alice said Lauren took your phone after breaking into your locker last Tuesday. Sorry dude, guess you can't call her."

"You guys suck, why couldn't you just tell me that? I might've had time to get it!"

"Alice." They shrugged.

As if by miracle, Rose's phone rang.

"It's Alice," she said, handing me the phone.

"Alice?" I answered, "Where have you been?"

"I'm actually back in Forks," She said calmly, in that voice I knew meant she was hiding something.

"Why?" I grew more suspicious.

"Well, my dear sister needed me and you know I'd do anything for her." She prompted

"Why did she need you, Alice?" I grew more and more wary with each second.

"There was an… accident." She sighed, defeated.

"What kind of an 'accident', Alice?" I growled

"She… slipped, and needed me to drive her home." I could almost see her wincing with each question I asked.

"Home from where?" I prodded.

"The… ER." She sighed, defeated yet again.

"She was in the _hospital _and you didn't tell me?" I was hurt. Bella, _my_ Bella was so hurt she had to be brought to the hospital, and nobody had the decency to even tell me?

"She didn't want you to know," Alice defended

I grumbled. Why wouldn't she want me to know? It only made me more upset. Did she not want me to take care of her? Did she not like it when I came over?

"Can I talk to her?"

"You may." Alice allowed, handing the phone over to Bella.

"H-hello?" She stuttered, nervously. She almost sounded… _afraid._

"Hey, beautiful," I murmured

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" I sounded upset, but calm, "I would've taken you home."

"I didn't want you to be mad," She said, sheepishly.

"Why would I ever be mad?" I was pretty confused.

"Because I know it hurts you to be around me when I'm all bloody."

My heart sank.

"Oh, Bella," I sounded even sadder.

"Do you not want me?" she whimpered

"What? Where did that come from?" I was stunned by her question. How could I not want her?

"I don't know. Why do you want to be with a clumsy human who constantly puts you through pain?" She responded

"Bella," I spoke softly, yet fiercely at the same time "I love you no matter what. Just because you fell doesn't mean I don't want you, my silly, silly girl."

"I know." She whispered sadly.

"Where did that come from?"

"Lauren," She muttered, and I growled uncontrollably. That phone stealing, annoying voiced, fake looking, sick minded b*tch.

"I'll kill her for making you cry," I promised, darkly.

"Who said she made me cry?" she asked, though it was easy to tell she had been.

"Bella, are you… okay?" I asked. Sure she had a bad day, but there was more to it than that. Her voice wasn't as happy, it held nothing, like she was empty. There was a pause on the other line and a bit of sniffing.

"No," her voice cracked, and she started crying into the receiver.

"Shh, Bella, Shh. I'll come back, okay? I'll be there soon. Calm down," I tried to calm her.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled through tears "It's been a really hard day."

"Yeah, I can tell," I chuckled without humor.

"I bet you can," she laughed too.

"Hey, I love you," I reminded her

"I love you, too," She sighed and hung up.

I was in the car before the phone clicked off. I didn't even give Rose an explanation. Since Alice had taken my car, I took the jeep. So basically I stranded my brother and sister a couple hundred miles away from out town, in the middle of the forest. They would find something to do. I don't think they'd ever had sex in the woods before. Yeah, Emmett would come up with that in a few seconds. A pleasant surprise for Alice if she decided to go back and hunt.

I ran the engine as fast as possible to get to her, at as fast as possible without blowing up the car. To my extreme distaste, the Jeep Wrangler didn't go as fast as the other cars my family owned. The engine sped and the vibrations became stronger. The buzzing got louder and higher as it accelerated. It still wasn't fast enough, but it would have to do. I was probably going to drain Emmett's car of battery and gas in a matter of minutes at this speed. We'd probably have to carry it home before daytime since Charlie couldn't know I was there and it wouldn't be able to drive that far when I was through with it.

I got a text from Alice saying she was leaving, and I'd better be there soon because Bella was getting nightmares again. Damn. After I came back last September, her nightmares seemed to have stopped. Apparently not. Did she get them every time I went hunting? Was it that bad, that Alice needed me to get there ASAP? The car speeded up just that much more.

I was an ass for leaving her. A stupid, cruel, demented, masochistic ass. What was wrong with me? I was a horrible person. She shouldn't have even taken me back. I didn't deserve her. I didn't deserve any position in her life. Not even the right to look at her. But the only way to punish myself was to leave again, and there was no way in hell I would let us be separated ever again. Especially not by choice.

Finally, at around 4:15, I reached her house and climbed my way up to her bedroom.

"You shouldn't still be awake," I chided softly, when I saw her eyes wide open and the light on.

"I couldn't sleep," She mumbled.

"Nightmares?" I guessed.

"Yeah."

I sighed, what was I going to do with her?

I kissed her forehead gently, and wrapped my arms around her waist, laying down with her and pulling the covers over our bodies.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, and she shook her head no, pressing it against my chest.

"Okay," I sighed, "Does your leg hurt?" I asked.

"Yeah, kinda," she admitted. This was bad, really, really bad. Bella downplayed _everything. _Admitting to an injury was like admitting murder to her. It must _really_ hurt if she's willing to tell me it does at all.

Since it hurt, I rested my cool hand on her knee. I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. I smiled, glad that I could help in any way I could. Maybe being a vampire didn't suck as much as I thought it did. It actually came in handy sometimes. After a second of lying there, her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out.

"Edward makes things better just by being here" She mumbled in her sleep.

Didn't she know she had the same effect on me?

_**BOOM! EPOV…Like hate? Whatever. I really liked it. I might do one of the morning after but maybe not… it depends. Review please! :)**_


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